This work package (WP) will integrate WPs 1 and 2, and develop a transdisciplinary, deliberative, knowledge exchange process to determine a new ‘land imaginary’, that aligns with Scottish Government policy objectives. This WP also aims to build consensus and facilitate social learning between and within Scotland’s landownership and land use sector, and to integrate knowledge types to support future land reform policy development. This will be undertaken through recruitment and facilitation of a Stakeholder Advisory Group. The Advisory Group will be recruited from the outset of the project to co-construct the research approach, provide access to networks relating to land ownership and use in Scotland, case studies, as well as input expert opinions (e.g. cultural, fiscal, and legal). This WP seeks to embed an open science approach, involving non-scientists throughout the research process.
Further information about the Stakeholder Advisory Group is available here.
The WP is structured as follows:
- The Stakeholder Advisory Group (‘Advisory Group’) will involve 10 to 12 individuals from across land ownership and land use sectors in Scotland, and potentially internationally, including representatives of rural and urban communities who do and do not own land, Scottish Government policy teams, and Government agencies. Advisory Group members will be interviewed prior to attending the first meeting, to gather baseline data regarding knowledge, values, and attitudes to land reform; (Year 1)
- The advisory group will meet in person and virtually at regular intervals throughout the programme. Meetings are structured according to a theme relevant to the research, providing the opportunity for open discussion, pilot testing of methods (e.g. interview questions, dataset accessibility, etc.), feedback on research findings, and consideration of policy implications. The advisory group meetings are facilitated by the research team, utilising innovative participatory approaches when appropriate. Where requested by the advisory group, external experts on the meeting theme are invited to provide input to the advisory group discussion. Meetings are recorded, providing qualitative data for narrative and content analysis (WP2), and meeting minutes approved by the advisory group. This WP will identify narratives and argumentation deployed by the stakeholders and other actors, drawing on institutions, knowledge, appeals to morality, and legislation to facilitate land access/enable novel land tenure options; (Years 1 - 5)
- The Advisory Group will host an international symposium of leading land reform academics and policy makers to share experiences of land reform in Scotland and learn from the outcomes of alternative land tenure models in other countries (in conjunction with WP2); (Year 4)
- The Advisory Group will participate in scenario planning to develop an action plan for future land reform, and co-construct narratives on land ownership and management, to overcome traditional polarised narratives that have dominated land reform debates. The action plan will support the development of policy recommendations and future research needs, and it will be presented in a final report for the advisory group members and Scottish Government policy makers; (Years 4-5)
- Advisory Group members will be interviewed individually to capture their reflections on the research process, group dynamics, scenario planning, and final ‘land imaginary’. These interviews will seek to identify evidence of social learning, consensus building, social capital creation, and any other outcomes from the advisory group and co-construction process. (Year 5)